


Charlatans

by theinconceivabletruth



Series: Tao Meditations [9]
Category: Log Horizon
Genre: Contemplation, Gen, Tao - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:40:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23743192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theinconceivabletruth/pseuds/theinconceivabletruth
Summary: Shiroe examines Nureha's motivations for finding a way home, as well as his own.Day 223: CharlatansPart of a series of daily writing exercises, based on a book of daily Tao meditations.
Series: Tao Meditations [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1710055
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	Charlatans

**Author's Note:**

> This is part of a series based on 365 Tao: Daily Meditations, using each day's theme as a prompt. The poem at the beginning is taken from the book, and does not belong to me.

_ He sits on a throne with smug confidence. _

_ Skin is bright gold, eyes are reptilian marbles.  _

_ Lips are smeared with honey, tongue is virile red.  _

_ He exhorts his followers to purge inhibitions.  _

_ “Whatever you feel is Tao, and should be indulged.” _

_ They scream, they sob, they dance madly.  _

_ “Yes! Yes!” he exclaims. “Whatever you do is Tao!”  _

Often when he was working in the guildhouse, Shiroe’s mind would wander. It usually wasn’t something he could help, and often his thoughts tracked back to the most recent thing that was bothering him. Like today. 

_ The great irony - no, the great deception - of Nureha’s rhetoric, _ mused Shiroe,  _ is that ‘going back to the real world’ is the absolute last thing that she wants. _ But there was enough fear of this unknown world, and it had worked as a rallying cry in Minami. The fear was great enough that the majority would jump at the easiest and most comforting path offered to them. Akiba had almost jumped down a similar path of fear. Once the majority became vocal, fear would keep the dissenters playing along with the charade. And  _ charade _ was exactly what it was. Shiroe had no doubts. 

Nureha had gained everything here, and she was greedy for more. For once, she was gaining status in leaps and bounds. She had power. Gladly forsake it to return home to the mundane world where she had struggled? Where she had valued herself as only trash? Shiroe didn’t think so. The only interest Nureha had in the way home was in controlling it. There was no telling how such a thing might function. It could be an individual choice, or it could be a mass transport, just as the Adventurers had been brought here in the first place. 

For someone like Nureha, to have that choice taken from her - to be blindsided with cold, harsh reality once more - was utterly unacceptable. So she would use the hysteria and fervor she had incited in the Adventurers of MInami to drive them to be the first to find the way back home. And when she had it in her grasp, she would never let it go. 

Shiroe wondered at himself.  _ Why am I so certain? _ And he knew it was because deep inside himself, he longed to do the same. The thought of ceding that control to another was nigh unbearable.  _ But I shall bear it _ , Shiroe told himself.  _ I will not take that choice from others - nor will I let Nureha take it from us.  _

_ And I will deal with what comes, as it may _ . 

**Author's Note:**

> Constructive criticism is welcome, but please bear in mind that these have minimal editing in terms of grammar. I did these a while ago but decided to post them now.
> 
> There are several other works in this series, from multiple fandoms.


End file.
